Credit: The Associated Press

In this March 24, 2008, file photo, McGregor Scott, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, gestures during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. The decision on whether to pursue criminal marijuana cases in states that have legalized pot will now rest with top federal prosecutors in those states, some of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to crack down on cannabis businesses. Scott grew up in Humboldt County, deep in California's famed "Emerald Triangle" marijuana-growing regionScott's spokeswoman, Lauren Horwood, said he declined to comment on the most recent federal move. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Credit: The Associated Press

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2017, file photo, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is going after legalized marijuana. Sessions is rescinding a policy that had let legalized marijuana flourish without federal intervention across the country. That's according to two people with direct knowledge of the decision. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Credit: The Associated Press

FILE - In this March 26, 2015, file photo, then First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Troyer, left, flanked by Denver Police Chief Robert White, takes questions during a news conference in Denver discussing an indictment alleging that 32 people exported tons of marijuana to other states over four years. Troyer, who is now Colorado’s U.S. Attorney, said his office will not change its approach to prosecuting marijuana crimes despite a change in policy by Attorney General Jeff Sessions giving federal prosecutors more leeway to enforce laws against pot. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

Credit: The Associated Press

FILE - In this July 27, 2017 file photo, Bryan Schroder, then acting U.S. Attorney for Alaska, addresses reporters in Anchorage, Alaska. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has put the top federal prosecutors in states that have legalized recreational marijuana back in charge of deciding whether to press pot cases there, but huge obstacles remain, starting with the fact that many of those U.S. attorneys are either brand new to the job or Obama-era holdovers. It's was unclear how Alaska's new U.S. attorney, Schroder, will handle marijuana in the Republican state with Libertarian leanings. Schroder said in a statement that one of his office's key principals is to follow federal law enforcement priorities, both at the national and local levels. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

Credit: The Associated Press

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2016 file photo, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Brian Stretch speaks during a news conference in San Francisco. The outgoing U.S. attorney in Northern California says his decision to leave the job was not spurred by Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new marijuana policy. Stretch said Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, it was the natural time in his career to move on to new challenges, and he had spent a fair amount of time in 2017 identifying a good opportunity to practice law privately. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

DENVER — Whether to crack down on marijuana in states where it is legal is a decision that will now rest with those states' top federal prosecutors, many of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to pursue cannabis businesses or their customers.

When he rescinded the Justice Department's previous guidance on marijuana, Attorney General Jeff Sessions left the issue to a mix of prosecutors who were appointed by President Donald Trump's administration and others who are holdovers from the Barack Obama years.